National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea C. Opinion on Discriminative Expressions against Disability in Media According to the Commission’s survey on the current status of implementing Human Rights Reporting Standards in 2013, the top 10 newspapers were found to use expressions and negative idioms that might heighten stereotypes and prejudices against persons with disabilities. A media monitoring report by Wefirst, a disability rights defense organization, showed that negative idioms such as ‘mute’, ‘cripple’, 'handicapped', ‘blind’, ‘deaf’, ‘retarded’, and 'deformed' continued to be used frequently, though the number of cases had decreased from 344 in 2011 to 296 in 2012 and 220 in 2013. 174 complaints submitted to the Commission, in 2013, were also about the mass media highlighting newspapers insulting and discriminating against persons with disabilities by using derogative terms or expressions such as ‘deaf’, ‘mute’, or ‘blind’. Given the ripple effect associated with the media, such expressions in media are believed to intensify stereotypes or prejudices against persons with disabilities. In this regard, the NHRCK expressed its opinion that broadcasters and newspapers should comply with the Human Rights Reporting Standards pertaining to disability reporting to prevent the use of terms, pejoratives, or idioms which are likely to degrade persons with disabilities along with implementing human rights education to journalists, while encouraging the Korea Communications Standards Commission and the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to pay special attention to prevent degrading expressions referencing disabilities in broadcast and news report on August 20, 2014. Chapter 1. Improvement of Laws, Regulations, Institutions, Policies and Practices ▪▪▪ 45